Franciscan Identity and Values

Our Bernardine Franciscan mission and heritage remain the foundation of everything we do, guiding how we teach, serve and build community.

• Alvernia's SOLAR: Culture of Care (Support, Opportunity, Love, Access, and Resources) is the university's unique network of services, support and opportunities that ensure students have the resources they need to succeed.
• Guided by the core Franciscan values – service, humility, peacemaking, contemplation and collegiality – Alvernia is a rigorous, caring, and inclusive learning community committed to academic excellence and to fostering ethical leaders.
• SUCCESS STORY: Alvernia's Culture of Care helped nursing major Youyi Ma '27 find a community.

Academic Experience

We deliver a rigorous, career-ready education across our three colleges, continually evolving our programs to meet student and workforce needs.

• We have a bold commitment at Alvernia: No student leaves without a transformational experiential learning opportunity.
• At the Total Experience Learning (TExpL)® Institute, learning isn’t confined to the classroom, it’s an adventure that connects knowledge to the real world.
• SUCCESS STORY: Three Alvernia University mechanical engineering students turned an idea born in the classroom into an award-winning healthcare innovation, securing both a provisional patent and first place in a regional business plan competition.

Community Engagement

Through initiatives like Reading CollegeTowne and the Holleran Center, we deepen our partnerships with the communities we serve in Reading, Pottsville, Philadelphia and beyond.

• Guided by Alvernia’s core value of service, the Holleran Center for Community and Global Engagement empowers students to engage with the community through service, learning, and leadership, creating meaningful impact in Reading and beyond.
• The O'Pake Institute for Economic Development and Entrepreneurship is Alvernia’s transformational engine for changing the model and execution of higher education, creating public and private partnerships that develop a talent pipeline needed to aid business growth in the region.
• SUCCESS STORY: Transfer student Lilibet Perez '26 followed her mother's footsteps to Alvernia to find community and a full-time job.

Student Experience

From orientation through graduation, we invest in a supportive, personalized experience that helps every student thrive.

• Guided by the core Franciscan values, Alvernia is a rigorous, caring, and inclusive learning community committed to academic excellence and to fostering ethical leaders.
• With a 14:1 student-faculty ratio (18 students in the average classroom), you're not just a number at Alvernia. And our engaging, dynamic faculty are the heart of the university.
• SUCCESS STORY: For Isaac Peterson '27, Alvernia University became the turning point that reshaped both his academic and personal identity.
• SUCCESS STORY: Online-program flexibility helps ambitious adult student English Bradley ’26 create her comeback.

Stewardship

We manage our resources responsibly to ensure Alvernia’s long-term sustainability and its continued ability to serve the underserved.

• A look at sustainability at Alvernia, including the Office of Institutional Sustainability and the Bog Turtle Creek Farm, a student-supported regenerative agriculture project helps to increase access to healthy, affordable food in the City of Reading.
• Solar panels, student ambassador program herald Alvernia’s amplified focus on sustainability
• Sustainable honeybee hives unveiled at John R. Post Center at Reading CollegeTowne